MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'higher'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:54:28 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182330&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fserenity-and-the-serenity-prayer%2F Alcoholics Anonymous members have made the Serenity prayer part of recovery. It asserts five basic elements of the recovery program. A belief in something other than ego-self Serenity – one of the goals of recovery Acceptance of …, e.g., loss of control Courage to make changes Wisdom of recovery that is gained from other members, Spirituality, meditation and literature God grant me the Serenity to Accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.   Whether we belong to this church or that, whether we are humanists, agnostics, or atheists, most of us have found these words a wonderful guide in getting sober, staying sober, and enjoying our sobriety. Whether we see the Serenity Prayer as an actual prayer or... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182330 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:21:27 +0100 5182330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130727&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdPEw5_rzjh0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWarren Buffett’s at it again. He has a column in the New York Times complaining that he has been coddled by the tax code and that “rich” people should pay higher taxes. My first instinct is to send Buffett the website where people can voluntarily pay extra money to the federal government. I’ve made this suggestion to guilt-ridden rich people in the past. But I no longer give that advice. I’m worried he might actually do it. And even though Buffett is wildly misguided about fiscal policy, I know he will invest his money much more wisely than Barack Obama will spend it. But Buffett goes beyond guilt-ridden rants in favor of higher taxes. He makes specific assertions that are inaccurate. Last year my federal tax bill — the income tax I paid, as well as payroll... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130727 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:45:01 +0100 5130727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107902&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F12-step-and-mutual-help-programs%2F Twelve-Step and Mutual-Help Programs for Addictive DisordersThis important statement was made after an extensive review of outcomes research on addiction treatment. It reflects the conclusions of recent scientific reviews that alcohol and other drug addictions are chronic, relapsing diseases of the brain.The Minnesota Model, which throughout the 1980s featured 28 days of intensive inpatient and residential treatment, has more recently evolved to a longer continuum of care and greater reliance on outpatient treatment. Brief detoxification establishes abstinence, and patients move to successively less intensive levels of care from inpatient, to partial, to intensive outpatient, to less frequent outpatient visits. The model of chronic illness, which O’Brien and McLellan used in comparin... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107902 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:37:18 +0100 5107902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086148&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHxN0VDfJsuQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellPoliticians last night announced the framework of a deal to increase the debt limit. In addition to authorizing about $900 billion more red ink right away, it would require immediate budget cuts of more than $900 billion, though “immediate” means over 10 years and “budget cuts” means spending still goes up (but not as fast as previously planned). But that’s the relatively uncontroversial part. The fighting we’re seeing today revolves around a “super-committee” that’s been created to find $1.5 trillion of additional “deficit reduction” over the next 10 years (based on Washington math, of course). And much of the squabbling deals with whether the super-committee is a vehicle for higher taxes. As with all k... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086148 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:27:49 +0100 5086148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086260&cid=t_108538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fsometimes-im-tempted-to-fight-my-new-passion%2F For the last month or so, I’ve been possessed with a passionate interest in the sense of smell. I follow the resolution to cultivate good smells — I’ve read lots of books, I’ve started disciplining myself to be more aware of the smells that I encounter in my day, I’ve been eliminating sources of bad smell in my home (a very worthwhile endeavor, by the way), and I’ve also become interested in perfume. I’ve never had much interest in perfume, but suddenly I am, because so much of the energy and writing around the subject of smell is related to perfume. I’m newly fascinated by perfume, but I’m also fascinated by my own process of becoming fascinated. As Virginia Woolf noted in her Diary: “I must remember to write about my clothes next time I have an impulse to write. M... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086260 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:39:58 +0100 5086260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077664&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5l-dpRVXrKU%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI testified yesterday before the Joint Economic Committee about budget process reform. As part of the Q&A session after the testimony, one of the Democratic members made a big deal about the fact that federal tax revenues today are “only” consuming about 15 percent of GDP. And since the long-run average is about 18 percent of GDP, we are all supposed to conclude that a substantial tax hike is needed as part of what President Obama calls a “balanced approach” to red ink. But it’s not just statist politicians making this argument. After making fun of his assertion that Obama is a conservative, I was hoping to ignore Bruce Bartlett for a while, but I noticed that he has a piece on the New York Times website also implying that America&#821... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077664 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:40:44 +0100 5077664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050524&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkDOyFnvKS7k%2F On Tuesday, Cato held a forum on the big profits made by putatively “nonprofit” colleges, the subject of a new Cato Policy Analysis. Not surprisingly, Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, objected to the use of the term “profits” to categorize the excess money colleges take in through undergraduate students, but all the panelists seemed to agree that there is both significant waste in higher ed, and that the Capitol Hill obsession with unabashedly for-profit institutions misses big cracks all over the Ivory Tower. Unfortunately, of course, many of you couldn’t join us on Tuesday. Thankfully, you can now take in the entire bit of illuminating infotainment right here: On a related note, give George Leef&#821... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050524 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:30:18 +0100 5050524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036218&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3fD3PuRdzxI%2F By Trevor BurrusHarvey Silverglate, co-founder and chairman of the board of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and a Cato adjunct scholar, has an excellent op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal highlighting the emerging problem of due process violations on college campuses. As Ilya Shapiro has written about previously, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights recently sent out a letter outlining new procedural requirements for dealing with claims of sexual harassment and assault. Despite its cordial opening — it begins with the words “Dear Colleague” — the letter carries the de facto force of law: universities that receive public funds (nearly all of them) may have their funding stripped if they don’t follow the new guidelines. The new guideli... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036218 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:16:03 +0100 5036218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029223&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fsurrender-to-win-2%2F Willingness is the key The Higher Power Is Good “Before Alcoholics Anonymous, I could not, or would not, admit I was wrong. My pride would not let me. And yet I was ashamed of me. Caught in this conflict, I banished the Higher Power from my life because I felt He asked me to adhere to a behavior pattern too high for a man of my human frailty. Somehow, I believed that there could be no forgiveness of any failure, that he Higher Power required me to be all good. The moral of the story of the Prodigal Son eluded me. “Since I thought trying was not enough, I stopped trying. That made me feel guilty. For a while, alcohol blotted out the guilt. Then alcohol became the greatest cause of my guilt. I had to be beaten to a pulp physically, mentally and emotionally, become bankrupt in all... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029223 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:25:41 +0100 5029223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992662&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaF-AQlQNX1Y%2F By Daniel J. MitchellFor both political and policy reasons, the left is desperately trying to maneuver Republicans into going along with a tax increase. And they are smart to make this their top goal. After all, it will be very difficult – if not impossible – to increase the burden of government spending without more revenue coming to Washington. But how to make this happen? President Obama is mostly arguing in favor of class-warfare tax increases, but that’s a non-serious gambit driven by 2012 political considerations. Moreover, there’s presumably zero chance that Republicans would surrender to higher tax rates on work, saving, and investment. The real threat is back-door hikes resulting from the elimination and/or reduction of so-called tax breaks. The big spenders on the left a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992662 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:12:15 +0100 4992662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975828&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfE42ltbBPEc%2F By Neal McCluskeyIt looks like Peter Thiel won’t be unopposed advising kids to stay out of college Thanks to a new report from Georgetown University economist Anthony Carnevale, and a David Leonhardt column based on Carnevale’s study, over the last few days the college-for-all crowd has been striking back. But they seem to have missed something in their own college training: correlation does not equal causation. Carnevale, Leonhardt, and others’ argument is basically that there are big, positive returns on a college degree. It’s something, frankly, that’s not generally in dispute. I say “generally,” because while on average college grads make a lot more than people without a degree, there’s a lot more to the story than averages. Ind... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975828 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:12:10 +0100 4975828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960045&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FM0GW84_LlEY%2F By Ilya ShapiroEarlier this month I blogged about the U.S. Department of Education’s recent push to eliminate free speech and due process on campus.  More and more people are starting to notice this attempt by the department’s Office of Civil Rights to force colleges — by threatening an investigation and loss of federal funds — to redefine sexual harrassment to include unwelcome flirting and sex jokes and then lower the burden of proof they use when determining whether students or staff are guilty of violating the new code of behavior. And now we have a characteristically astute article by the Washington Examiner‘s Michael Barone.  Money quote: Education Secretary Arne Duncan has shown an admirable openness to argument and intellectual debate. Perhaps someone ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960045 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:57:44 +0100 4960045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953373&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F12-steps-for-a-sponsor%2F Twelve Steps of SponsorshipThese can be applied to all 12-Step anonymous fellowships such as Al-anon, Alateen, Gamblers Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous etcI will not help you to stay and wallow in limbo.I will help you to grow, to become more productive, by your definition.I will help you become more autonomous, more loving of yourself, more excited, less sensitive, more free to become the authority for your own living.I cannot give you dreams or “fix you up” simply because I cannot.I cannot give you growth, or grow for you. You must grow for yourself by facing reality, grim as it may be at times.I cannot take away your loneliness or your pain.I cannot sense your world for you, evaluate your goals for you, tell you what is best for your world; because you have your... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953373 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:36:13 +0100 4953373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934335&cid=t_108538_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fwhen-our-intuition-leads-us-to-bad-decisions%2F Six years ago, Malcolm Gladwell released a book entitled Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. In his usual style, Gladwell weaves stories in-between descriptions of scientific research the support his hypothesis that our intuition can be surprisingly accurate and right. One year ago, authors Daniel J. Simons and Christopher F. Chabris, writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education not only had some choice words for Gladwell’s cherry-picking of the research, but also showed how intuition probably only works best in certain situations, where there is no clear science or logical decision-making process to arrive at the “right” answer. For instance, when choosing which ice cream is “best.” Reasoned analysis, however, works best in virtually every other si... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934335 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:39:28 +0100 4934335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921392&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMFX0MWafTOw%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe following is cross-posted from the National Journal’s Education Experts blog. This week’s topic: Whether new ”gainful employment” regulations for higher education are too little, too much, or just right: I agree largely with Steve Peha — our policies and mindsets have made “college” synonymous with “job training,” and that has led to huge inefficiencies. But there is an even deeper problem: government aid, both to students and schools. The most aggressive opponents of for-profit schooling to have posted thus far appear to agree that taxpayer-funded student aid is what for-profit institutions are after. No doubt the critics are, for the most part, right. But there is another side to this equation: The aid also enables stu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921392 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:21:39 +0100 4921392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921396&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKyovaxBLj6s%2F By Neal McCluskeyOver at the New America Foundation’s “Higher Ed Watch” blog, Stephen Burd purports to know “the truth behind Senate Republican’s boycott of the Harkin hearing.” And what is that truth? Republicans are trying to “discredit an investigation that has revealed just how much damage their efforts to deregulate the industry over the past decade have caused both students and taxpayers.” Really? Okay, it is possible that Republicans are trying to save themselves some sort of blame or embarrasment — I can’t read their minds — but if so they’ve done a terrible job. Every time Harkin holds one of his hearings the bulk of the media coverage treats it like it has revealed shocking abuse by the entire for-profit se... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921396 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:54:55 +0100 4921396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921761&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Falcohol-the-isms-and-fear%2F This article will discuss the ism’s and associated fears.The Ism’sThese ism’s are part of normal life, everyone has them to varying degrees. Specifically, the ism’s are an attempt to make life bearable, as a way of “interpersonal control and coping.” This is, of course, what we all strive to do on a day-to-day basis, we need these thinking patterns and behaviours to cope, most people seem to be doing alright, while the alcoholic seems to be sinking fast.One of the main ism’s with alcoholism is the ism of fear.FearsRecovery is mostly about letting go of fear. In fact, fear produces most all my insane moments. Any time I need a reality check, I try to stop and ask myself if there is a fear at the root of what I’m doing.These are the fear demons I’ve identifi... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921761 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:44:23 +0100 4921761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902697&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F12-things-i-like-about-recovery%2F AA is the guide to my Higher PowerRecovery gives many benefits such as those related in the 12 promises of recovery. Each and every member of any 12 Step Fellowship has things they value.One day I began to think about what I liked about recovery. I excluded the 12 Steps, Traditions and Promises and came up with a simply worded list.This was my list on that day.12 Things I like about recoveryNo more domestic violenceNo fear of the policeEconomic stabilityBetter libido and sexual enjoymentA Higher Power that helps me in all of lifeBetter relationships with familyWake up without a hangover – every dayA Fellowship that is my second familyClear, rational thinkingNo deep, crippling depressionNo chronic, hurtful anger or resentmentsI can laugh at myself.That was couple of months ago and as ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902697 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 19:24:40 +0100 4902697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893415&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyrejsaU4zQo%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe hotly anticipated — and dreaded — “gainful employment” regulations aimed at for-profit colleges were released this morning, and based on media reports the big news is that they are a little more lenient than originally expected. Most importantly, schools that fail to meet debt-to-income and debt-repayment requirements will not be cut off from federal student aid — the financial crack on which almost every college and university depends — until 2015. That’s the big news, at least as reported. But it isn’t the important story. The real story remains that the Obama administration, and at least the education leadership in the Senate, continues to divert the public’s eye towards for-profit schools when the entire hig... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893415 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:53:18 +0100 4893415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841436&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsSGo76ioxcw%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe most recent, comprehensive Pew higher education survey has gotten a lot of coverage for its findings on how important the public thinks college is, its financial payoff for grads, etc. For some reason, though, by far the most interesting statistic in the report has gotten roughly zero play, either from Pew itself or media coverage of the report: “Among all college graduates, 33% say they are in a job that does not require a college degree.” Wait. One-third of all college graduates are in jobs that don’t call for a college education? So one-third of all college degrees are quite possibly total economic wastes? (To be fair, no doubt some of those grads are looking for jobs requiring a degree, mitigating this somewhat. On the flip side, many job... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841436 Wed, 18 May 2011 17:32:46 +0100 4841436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794842&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJ6syOWF1POU%2F By Roger PilonTwo days ago Cato held a book forum to mark the publication of an excellent new book, Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Lives, edited by Pat Michaels. I coauthored chapter one, which shows how the modern executive state arose over the 20th century such that today the Environmental Protection Agency is able to regulate vast areas of life without ever having to go to Congress for authority to do so. It’s a remarkable inversion of the Founders’ vision. With emphasis added, the very first sentence of the Constitution, after the Preamble, reads as follows: “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress …” — not in the executive branch, not in the courts, but in Congress. Yet today we are governed mainly by over 30... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794842 Fri, 06 May 2011 18:33:20 +0100 4794842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789211&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwH0wM4JNDEE%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMartin Feldstein’s on a roll, but not in a good way. Earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal, he advocated throwing in the towel on reforming Social Security into a system of personal retirement accounts. Today, in the New York Times, he endorses big tax increases. Rather odd positions for someone who served as Chairman of President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers. The Gipper must be rolling in his grave. To be fair, when compared to Obama’s tax-hike plan, Feldstein wants to raise taxes in ways that impose much less damage on the economy. Obama wants to raise tax rate on productive behavior, thus discouraging work, saving, investment, and entrepreneurship. Feldstein, by contrast, wants to cap various tax preferences. Reducing the budget def... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789211 Thu, 05 May 2011 14:53:45 +0100 4789211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789224&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_T6uSP5kDhU%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAs I have explained elsewhere, tax increases are a bad idea – unless you favor bigger government. And I’ve already added my two cents to the tax debate between Senator Coburn and Grover Norquist regarding the desirability of higher taxes. So it won’t surprise anyone to know that I fully agree with this new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, which offers seven reasons why higher taxes are a bad idea. The video is narrated by Piyali Bhattacharya of Young Americans for Liberty, and here are her seven reasons. Tax increases are not needed Tax increases encourage more spending Tax increases harm economic performance Tax increases foment social discord Tax increases almost never raise as much revenue as projected Tax increases encourage mor... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789224 Wed, 04 May 2011 13:58:53 +0100 4789224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780291&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzRRDs2EfY94%2F By Neal McCluskeyThere is a reason “ivory tower” has a negative connotation, evoking images of effete snobs walled away in ivory opulence as they look down on the commoners and demand outsized respect. The image, unfortunately, is occasionally accurate for individual academics, and almost always so for the whole of academia, which is funded by massive subsidies taken from taxpayers, but walled off by claims that no price can or should ever be affixed to the “public good” it produces. Add to this its professorial residents often demanding limitless freedom — and job security – to say whatever they want about such evil pursuits as “big business” that generate the tax dollars that keep the tower cushy and its jobs secure, and... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780291 Tue, 03 May 2011 20:13:01 +0100 4780291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762940&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fstay-on-the-beam%2F Just for Today – Stay on the Beam“Today most commercial flying is done on a radio beam. A directional beam is produced to guide the pilot to his destination, and as long as he keeps on this beam he knows that he is safe, even if he cannot see around him for fog, or get his bearings in any other way.As soon as he gets off the beam in any direction he is in danger, and he immediately tries to get back on to the beam once more.Those who believe in the All-ness of a Higher Power, have a spiritual beam upon which to navigate on the voyage of life. As long as you have peace of mind and some sense of the Presence of God you are on the beam, and you are safe, even if outer things seem to be confused or even very dark; but as soon as you get off the beam you are in danger.You are off th... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762940 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:45:07 +0100 4762940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724270&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faffirmations-for-recovery%2F On Becoming Your Own Loving ParentAffirmations to be Repeated Each DayThese affirmations apply to recovering addicts, alcoholics, co-dependents, adult children of alcoholics / addicts and anyone working for recovery from a dysfunctional upbringing.Affirmations with other recovery program work are a powerful tool for addressing our critical nature toward ourselves and others. These affirmations represent the basic truths that most of us did not receive as children, but we can claim as adults. Read these affirmations out loud for several weeks.  You may also write down some of them and post them where you can read them. With affirmations, we begin to change our inner Critical Parent.  We learn to give ourselves a break.It is okay to know who I am.It is okay to trust ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724270 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:32:00 +0100 4724270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709188&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtZHrzH9jheE%2F By Daniel J. MitchellResponding to widespread criticism of his AWOL status on the budget fight, President Obama today unveiled a fiscal plan. It already is being criticized for its class warfare approach to tax policy, but the most disturbing feature may be a provision that punishes the American people with higher taxes if politicians overspend. Called a “debt failsafe trigger,” Obama’s scheme would automatically raise taxes if politicians spend too much. According to the talking points distributed by the White House, the automatic tax increase would take effect “if, by 2014, the projected ratio of debt-to-GDP is not stabilized and declining toward the end of the decade.” Let’s ponder what this means. If politicians in Washington spend too much and cause... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709188 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:49:48 +0100 4709188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676763&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTUO4cBW_7tQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThis Thursday, April 7, Senator Corker of Tennessee will be the opening speaker at the Cato Institute's conference on "The Economic Impact of Government Spending" (an event that is free and open to the public, so register here if you want to attend). The Senator will be discussing his proposal to cap and then gradually reduce the burden of government spending, measured as a share of gross domestic product. With federal outlays currently consuming about 25 percent of economic output, excessive federal spending is America's main fiscal problem. Corker's proposal would put federal spending on a 10-year glide path so that it eventually shrinks to 20.6 percent of GDP. This chart, from the Senator's upcoming presentation, shows that government will grow at a much slower pace... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676763 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:37:10 +0100 4676763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653314&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb9sCNawlObs%2F By Ilya ShapiroSpeaking of free speech, last night I had an Obamacare panel at Widener University, which is currently having its own little speech-related brouhaha.  (Getting there was a bit of a hassle because I was held up at the Wilmington Amtrak station by Vice President Biden's entourage — but I didn't end up in a closet, so I guess it could have been worse.) There are strange things afoot at the tiny Delaware law school, specifically to tenured professor Lawrence Connell, who also happens to be the adviser to the school's Federalist Society chapter. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education: Widener University School of Law is attempting to fire longtime criminal law professor Lawrence Connell by charging him with dubious violations of the school's harassment code, s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653314 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:27:13 +0100 4653314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610895&cid=t_108538_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FWmRE0YNJTlA%2F Conferences have long been a staple of the professional calendar. Now, after a recession that has slashed travel expenditure, the landscape for events is changing. Sophisticated digital platforms are enabling virtual environments that simulate the benefits of real events, and attendees are beginning to shift to accessing subject matter experts and industry networking online. But can the digital environment really displace brick and mortar events, where eye to eye meetings and chance connections can justify the often costly registration fees and travel costs? In organizations where hundreds of executives and professionals attend several conferences a year at $1,000 or more each in total cost, a virtual conference at $500 can be attractive. Making virtual connections at an online conference ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610895 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:49:41 +0100 4610895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600517&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1YSRhz1002k%2F By Neal McCluskeyAn explanation for explosive college prices that's very popular with ivory-tower apologists is that state governments have been ruthlessly "defunding" higher ed for years, forcing schools to raise prices. Two new reports help to make clear -- as I have argued many times in the past -- that this simply doesn't hold water. The first report is the annual State Higher Education Executive Officers' State Higher Education Finance Report.  While it shows that on a per-pupil basis state and local funding has declined over the last few years, total amounts have risen pretty steadily since 2000. Adjusted for inflation, total state and local support dipped from $81.3 billion in 2000 to $78.0 billion in 2005, ballooned to $87.1 billion in 2009, then dropped just a bit to $85.5 ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600517 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:49:04 +0100 4600517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4577904&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmore-women-die-of-heart-attack-than-men-do%2F2011.03.12 Several studies have shown that women have a higher mortality rate than men if they have a heart attack. A study published in the American Heart Journal helps to explain why. The researchers looked at data from 2,542 women who had a heart attack. Compared to men, the women were older, less likely to be white, and less likely to smoke. They also had more serious health conditions than the men. They had diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We’ve known for a long time that women are about 10 years older than men at the time of their first heart attack. The authors believe that the reason women are more likely to die is because of these other conditions that are present. Women in the study were also m... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4577904 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4577904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575045&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhYxQkYpDKeg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere's a significant debate now taking place in Washington — largely behind closed doors, but sometimes covered by the media — on whether fiscal conservatives should maintain a rigid no-tax-increase position. One side of the debate features Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, which is the organization that maintains the no-tax-increase pledge. The other side features Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who is part of a small group of GOP senators who might be willing to increase the tax burden as part of a deal that supposedly reduces deficits. I'm a huge fan of Senator Coburn, who was in favor of cutting wasteful spending before it became fashionable. His office, for instance, releases a "Pork Report" every couple of days. You shouldn't read it if you have hi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575045 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:28:29 +0100 4575045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4552150&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fagnostics-and-alcoholics-anonymous%2F Image via WikipediaFor agnostics who would like to work the steps, this version of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous provides slightly different wording of the six steps that make reference to God or a Higher Power. This version of the Twelve Steps seems to have originated in agnostic A.A. groups in California.1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable.2. Came to believe and to accept that we needed strengths beyond our awareness and resources to restore us to sanity.[Original: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.]3. Made a decision to entrust our will and our lives to the care of the collective wisdom and resources of those who have searched before us.[Original: Made a decision to turn our wills an... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4552150 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:59:00 +0100 4552150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532192&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQC1nfoEUoec%2F By Neal McCluskeyHeating and cooling equipment installed upside down. A ramp for the disabled too steep for wheelchairs. A leaning tower of time. A $3.4 million renovation for a theater slated for demolition. Payouts to everyone from airborne videographers to feng shui experts. Welcome to community college! These and a litany of other failures and abuses are chronicled in a new Los Angeles Times article on the disaster that has been the Los Angeles Community College District's decade-long, $5.7 billion building orgy.  It's a tale made especially sickening by California college officials' repeated wailing that state budget cuts are forcing them to dig "deep into bone."  It's also galling in the face of Washington politicians' continued berating of for-profit schools and ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532192 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:25:03 +0100 4532192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482745&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG2b5b7cI130%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI looked yesterday at the spending side of Obama's budget and found some good news and bad news. The good news was the absence of any big new initiative to expand the burden of government. That's a welcome relief since the past couple of years have featured budget busting proposals such as the so-called stimulus scheme and a government-run healthcare plan. The bad news is that the budget does nothing to undo any of the damage of the past two years. Nor does it undo any of the damage of the previous eight years. And because the President's budget refuses to address entitlement spending, it certainly doesn't do anything to avert the damage of rapidly expanding budgets over the next several decades. Now let's look at the tax side of the fiscal equation. In large part, the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482745 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:52:28 +0100 4482745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472946&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqBapCXmGzEg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellChalk up another victory -- at least on the rhetorical level -- for the Tea Party. President Obama will release his fiscal year 2012 budget tomorrow and he's apparently become a born-again fiscal conservative. Here are some excerpts from a Washington Post story: President Obama will respond to a Republican push for a drastic reduction in government spending by proposing sharp cuts of his own in a fiscal 2012 budget blueprint that aims to trim record federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the next decade. ...two-thirds of the savings would come from spending cuts that are draconian by Democratic standards... When it lands Monday on Capitol Hill, Obama's plan will launch a bidding war with Republicans over how deeply and swiftly to cut, as the two parties seek a path to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472946 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:48:07 +0100 4472946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459942&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuDOUN8PWALw%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, House Republicans introduced their preliminary list of spending cuts, cuts that were, they declared, "to go deep." Unfortunately, coming in at just $74 billion, they were about as deep as onion skin. After all, the total federal budget is well over $3 trillion, and the national debt now exceeds $14 trillion.  The relatively lilliputian size of the proposed cuts should give any taxpayer major queasiness over Republicans' desire to truly rein in government. But if that doesn't scare you, this report from Inside Higher Ed absolutely should: Shhh. Don't tell, and they'll never admit it publicly. But college officials are (very quietly) feeling okay -- at least for now -- about how Congressional Republicans would treat the programs that matter mo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459942 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:33:38 +0100 4459942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459945&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYyUJdXxCkbg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellProponents of higher taxes are fond of claiming that Bill Clinton's 1993 tax increase was a big success because of budget surpluses that began in 1998. That's certainly a plausible hypothesis, and I'm already on record arguing that Clinton's economic record was much better than Bush's performance. But this specific assertion it is not supported by the data. In February of 1995, 18 months after the tax increase was signed into law, President Clinton's Office of Management and Budget issued projections of deficits for the next five years if existing policy was maintained (a "baseline" forecast). As the chart illustrates, OMB estimated that future deficits would be about $200 billion and would slightly increase over the five-year period. In other words, even the Clinton A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459945 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:49:13 +0100 4459945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445777&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FF-J4qTLWp2Y%2F By Daniel J. MitchellA new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity gives four reasons why big government is bad fiscal policy. I particularly like the explanation of how government spending undermines growth by diverting labor and capital from the productive sector of the economy. Some cynics, though, say that it is futile to make arguments for good policy. They claim that politicians make bad fiscal decisions because of short-term considerations such as vote buying and raising campaign cash and that they don't care about the consequences. There's a lot of truth to this "public choice" analysis, but I don't think it explains everything. Maybe I'm an optimist, but I think we would have better fiscal policy if more lawmakers, journalists, academics, and others grasped the common-se... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445777 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 20:44:10 +0100 4445777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4428999&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGWpaeNPTmQI%2F By Neal McCluskeyLast week, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Comittee, announced that on February 17 he will continue his obssessive attack on for-profit colleges, holding yet another hearing to determine just how evil profit-seekers are.  At least, that is what will presumably be discussed — the specific subject of the hearing is yet to be identified. But the committee actually tackling, say, rampant waste throughout higher education driven by federal student aid, or just giving for-profit schools an even-handed treatment, would be too huge a turnaround to contemplate. Despite there being no end in sight to Harkin’s seige, for-profit institutions aren’t just rolling over, and today they launched their latest ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4428999 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:06:56 +0100 4428999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405756&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi_fqsUVGRmQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMany of the politicians in Washington, including President Obama during his State of the Union address, piously tell us that there is no way to balance the budget without tax increases. Trying to get rid of red ink without higher taxes, they tell us, would require “savage” and “draconian” budget cuts. I would like to slash the budget and free up resources for private-sector growth, so that sounds good to me. But what’s the truth? The Congressional Budget Office has just released its 10-year projections for the budget, so I crunched the numbers to determine what it would take to balance the budget without tax hikes. Much to nobody’s surprise, the politicians are not telling the truth. The chart below shows that revenues are expected t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405756 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:00:32 +0100 4405756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411729&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ffaith-in-something%2F Something Greater than MeA Glacier Melts“A.A. provided for me a means by which I could overcome the compulsion to drink and, more important, a means by which I could achieve a personality change or spiritual awakening-a surrender to life. Though I have had problems and deep troubles since that summer ten years ago, my faith has not been shaken. I cannot say that I have found God as I understand Him, but rather that I have faith in Something which remains a mystery to me and which I continue to seek. – Fresno, California, USA”AAWS, Inc.; Came to Believe, 2004, pg. 59Originally posted 2009-12-23 12:37:08. Share, print or e-mail this articleAction and Patience (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411729 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:40:01 +0100 4411729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394447&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-worst-health-care-system-in-the-world-is%25e2%2580%25a6%2F2011.01.24 The worst healthcare system in the world is the United States, of course. Oh no, wait — it’s Canada. Actually, it could be Germany. Geez, now I think it might be the UK. You could go on and on like this, but you know what? No matter how good or bad your healthcare system is, there are certain universal truths. Here are four of them that might make you look at global healthcare a little differently: First, healthcare is getting more expensive, all over the world. A new study by the global consultant, Towers Watson (disclosure: Towers Watson is a Best Doctors client) found that the average medical cost trend around the world will be 10.5 percent in 2011. In the advanced economies costs will rise by an average of 9.3 percent. While Americans tend to think of rising medical costs a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394447 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:00:06 +0100 4394447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360955&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAlknYS0uFx4%2F By Neal McCluskeyRumor has it that President Obama, no doubt because it is always a warm and fuzzy subject, will feature education prominently in his upcoming State of the Union address. If so, he will almost certainly stress his goal of having the United States lead the world in the percentage of its citizens with a college degree by 2020. Unfortunately, doing what feels good often isn’t the same as doing what’s smart. Today, we get more evidence that simplistic, rhetoric-driven education policymaking — more degrees equals more learning equals economic bonanza! — is ultimately counterproductive.  It turns out, students generally learn very little in at least their first couple years of college, and many learn little over four years. According to Inside Hi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360955 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:33:34 +0100 4360955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349703&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fhumility-and-surrender%2F Conclusions. The present results suggest that, relative to their more humble counterparts, recovering alcoholics who lack humility (ie., high narcissists) do not have more difficulty surrendering to the idea they are powerless over their drinking problem.However, recovering alcoholics who lack authority-related humility do show a marked lack of faith in the proposition that God offers a viable solution to their alcohol problem.Consequently, they are quite reluctant to surrender their willfulness, and thereby accept help from a Higher Power.Given that faith in the existence, availability or efficacy of a Higher Power is difficult for this subsample of individuals, it seems likely that – in the context of 12-step recovery – deficits in humility may serve to increase a clients vul... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349703 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:44:00 +0100 4349703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337913&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB8YxsIToNjA%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe United States is facing a gigantic debt problem, as we all know. Governments at all levels have simply been spending too much, which most Republicans and Democrats now seem willing to concede. But don’t expect to hear the following from many members of either party: We need to stop spending taxpayer money on sending so many people to college! Indeed, President Obama has already said he’ll support spending cuts but not to education, and few Republicans have ever shown the willingness to flatly declare student aid a costly waste. And maybe they’re right. After all, doesn’t more college education necessarily translate into more productivity and prosperity? Nope. As I’ve pointed out repeatedly, lots of people never finish the educat... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337913 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:53:54 +0100 4337913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337916&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5B9bA0hn2vw%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere is a very bizarre race happening in Illinois. The Governor and the leaders of the State Senate and General Assembly are trying to figure out how to ram through a massive tax increase, but they’re trying to make it happen before new state lawmakers take office tomorrow. The Democrats will still control the state legislature, but their scheme to fleece taxpayers would face much steeper odds because of GOP gains in last November’s elections. As a result, the Illinois version of a lame-duck session has become a nightmare, sort of a feeding frenzy of tax-crazed politicians. Here’s the Chicago Tribune‘s description of the massive tax hike being sought by the Democrats. The 3 percent rate now paid by individuals and families would rise to 5 perce... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337916 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:15:04 +0100 4337916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305109&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fbeing-of-freedom%2F Image via WikipediaBeing of Freedom We do not regret the past, nor wish to shut the door on it.  We comprehend the word serenity and we know peace.  We live a life of balance by taming the many voices within so that they may serve their individual purpose without taking over and destroying the perfect harmony of our being. We give up the mastermind of our own self-will to follow the light of our spirit and live a humbled existence.  We know the gift of life comes from deep within by experiencing the gratitude of this very moment.  We accept that Thy will leads us to true freedom.Being of Freedom « The Hazelden Blog.Related articlesHeart of Serenity (recoveryissexy.com)Two Wolves (recoveryissexy.com)Disturbing Denial (recoveryissexy.com) Share, print or e-mail this articleStepping Ston... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305109 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 10:07:13 +0100 4305109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305111&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwomen-the-12-steps-of-aa%2F 12 Steps lead women upwardsWomen and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Gendered NarrativeThis paper examines how women “work” the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) from a gendered perspective.Feminist critics of AA havechallenged the language of AA’s Twelve Steps,the spiritual nature of the steps, andthe male-dominated culture of the Twelve-Step program.This paper offers insight into how women in AA approach, interpret, and utilize the Twelve Steps to recover from alcoholism.Through survey and narrative data, findings suggeststhat women working AA’s Twelve Steps become empowered andchange for the better in spite of the male-dominated culture and language of the Twelve Steps andregardless of the difficulty they may have encountered in completing these steps.In part... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305111 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:21:02 +0100 4305111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281298&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQrzU39ubDtI%2F By Neal McCluskeyOver at the Daily Kos they’re getting ready to demonize. Some congressional Republicans opposed language in the continuing budget resolution passed yesterday that would fill a shortfall in Pell Grant funding and keep individual grants at their current sizes. By not filling the shortfall, individual grants would get smaller, something that Kos contributor Jed Lewison characterizes as “draconian.” He also suggests that Republican concerns foreshadow mean things to come in next year’s Congress. Oh please, let this be true! For far too long, almost anything related to education has seen pretty regular, sizeable funding increases due largely to the  simplistic — and easily demagogued – notion that spending more money on education m... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281298 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:46:54 +0100 4281298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277814&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqsLU7mCp_-o%2F By Neal McCluskeyLast night, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team broke the college hoops consecutive win record of 88 games set by UCLA’s men in the early 1970s. In anticipation of this, UConn coach Geno Auriemma caused a bit of a stir by accusing some male sports fans of being upset because a women’s team was threatening a record set by men. This does not compute. Somewhere there might be a man upset by this — though I haven’t heard one — but I don’t see why: The UCLA men beat men’s teams, the UConn women have beaten women’s teams. It says nothing bad about men that a women’s team has a longer win streak. Where there might be en element of gender conflict at play is in how UConn got to this point. According ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277814 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 03:07:55 +0100 4277814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265675&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUQTUzWCVuvo%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday, AEI’s Rick Hess and Andrew Kelly have a piece at Inside Higher Ed highlighting serious evidence of dirty-dealing in a highly influential Government Accountability Office report on for-profit colleges. Hess and Kelly’s piece is well worth a read and I’m glad they’re on the case. Unfortunately, theirs is about the only cry of alarm over apparent bias at the supposedly incorruptible GAO — potentially a huge story — I’ve seen since I wrote the following last week: Now, though much needs to be determined about why the myriad changes to the report were made, I wouldn’t be terribly surprised to learn that people at the GAO have actually been in on the crusade to demonize proprietary colleges. I also, unfortunately, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265675 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:24:53 +0100 4265675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266281&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F10-pointers-to-recovery%2F Seek and yee shall findThese Ten Pointers are a summary of the lifesaving directions to recovery from alcoholism given in ‘How It Works’, chapter 5 of Alcoholics Anonymous – the AA Big Book.Completely give yourself to this simple Program.Practice rigorous honesty.Be willing to go to any lengths to recover.Be fearless and thorough in your practice of the principles.Realize that there is no easier, softer way.Let go of your old ideas, absolutely.Recognize that half measures will not work.Ask a Higher Power’s protection and care with complete abandon.Be willing to grow along spiritual lines.Accept the following ideas:that you cannot manage your own life;that probably no human power can restore you to sanity;that A Higher Power can and will if sought.See also12 Spiritual QuestionsThe L... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266281 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:29:38 +0100 4266281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253118&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9jHx1bT-QCg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWhen big-spending politicians in Washington pontificate about “deficit reduction,” taxpayers should be very wary. Crocodile tears about red ink almost always are a tactic that the political class uses to make tax increases more palatable. The way it works is that the crowd in DC increases spending, which leads to more red ink, which allows them to say we have a deficit crisis, which gives them an excuse to raise taxes, which then gives them more money to spend. This additional spending then leads to more debt, which provides a rationale for higher taxes, and the pattern continues — sort of a lather-rinse-repeat cycle of big government. Fortunately, it looks like the American people have figured out this scam. By a 57-34 margin, they say that reducing ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253118 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:06:59 +0100 4253118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241704&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVUPWDJHeEmk%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs I’ve pointed out repeatedly, though the sector is no doubt rife with waste and home to some dirty-dealers, attacks on for-profit colleges are almost certainly driven by politics and ideology, not educational concerns. Were it otherwise, all of higher education would be taking a beating for its bankrupting waste and widespread failure. A recent symptom of anti-profit witch-huntery was the misrepresentation of GAO reporting on what “secret shoppers” found while visiting select for-profit institutions. At the time the findings were released I thought the main problem was that members of the media and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) — who has been leading the crusade against for-profit schools — were using the results to smear the whole pr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241704 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:03:54 +0100 4241704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253456&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FZoViqCqG69Q%2F The Big Book of “Alcoholics Anonymous” includes the story of a woman whose drinking landed her in jail twice and nearly ruined her third marriage. Her final drunk, she recalls, lasted 60 days around the clock. “It was my intention, literally, to drink myself to death,” she said. Joining AA saved her life, largely because it helped her overcome the habit of resentment.This woman wrote that “self-pity and resentment were my constant companions … for I seemed to have a resentment against everybody I had ever known.” Moreover, “the only people who would support this attitude or whom I felt understood me at all were the people I met in bars and the ones who drank as I did.”AA recognizes that resentment is toxic to our inner lives. The case i... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253456 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 03:37:37 +0100 4253456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253457&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FfdFyZa5Rz4M%2F • “If I could have stayed cool, I’d still be drinking. Very quickly, though, I started getting into trouble. Going to sixth grade got in the way of my life, which consisted of getting drunk as much as possible.” [After rehab] “I was going to A.A. meetings. Everyone was older, even most of the kids at the young people meetings. But I found that alcoholics understand other alcoholics. . . . Regardless of how young or old or ‘special’ I am, in A.A. I’m just a drunk.” Tina, who joined A.A. at 13• “I loved drinking and was as addicted to the lies, the shady people and places as I was to the alcohol. My grades suffered until I stopped going to school altogether. . . . I found myself in places without any idea of how I had gotten there. I overdosed on alcohol.” Since comin... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253457 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 03:37:34 +0100 4253457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233170&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoWhkg6aROzo%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMuch to my surprise, Senate Republicans held firm earlier today and blocked President Obama’s soak-the-rich proposal to raise tax rates next year on investors, entrepreneurs and small business owners. I fully expected that GOPers would fold on this issue several months ago because Democrats were using the class-warfare argument that Republicans were holding the middle class hostage in order to protect “millionaires and billionaires.” Republicans usually have a hard time fighting back against such demagoguery, and I was especially pessimistic since every Republican senator had to stay united to block Senate Democrats from pushing through Obama’s plan for higher tax rates on the so-called rich. But the GOP surprised me earlier this year with the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233170 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:27:38 +0100 4233170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230152&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoWhkg6aROzo%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMuch to my surprise, Senate Republicans held firm earlier today and blocked President Obama’s soak-the-rich proposal to raise tax rates next year on investors, entrepreneurs and small business owners. I fully expected that GOPers would fold on this issue several months ago because Democrats were using the class-warfare argument that Republicans were holding the middle class hostage in order to protect “millionaires and billionaires.” Republicans usually have a hard time fighting back against such demagoguery, and I was especially pessimistic since every Republican senator had to stay united to block Senate Democrats from pushing through Obama’s plan for higher tax rates on the so-called rich. But the GOP surprised me earlier this year with the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230152 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:27:38 +0100 4230152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219731&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8QBjyJOWmSE%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe Chairmen of President Obama’s Fiscal Commission have a new draft proposal that is filled, according to Reuters, with “sharp spending and benefit cuts.” That’s music to my ears, so I quickly flipped to the back of the report in hopes of finding hard numbers showing that the federal government will be smaller in future years. Much to my chagrin, it turns out that the federal government will increase by about $1.5 trillion between 2010 and 2020 according to the Commission’s numbers. Here’s a chart based on the data from page 57. As I explain in the video below, this disconnect between supposed spending cuts and actual spending increases is the result of politicians creating a system where a spending increase can be called a “... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219731 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:44:17 +0100 4219731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214082&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ftc4ChoXppkw%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’ve always had a soft spot for Switzerland. The nation’s decentralized structure shows the value of federalism, both as a means of limiting the size of government and as a way of promoting tranquility in a nation with several languages, religions, and ethnic groups. I also admire Switzerland’s valiant attempt to preserve financial privacy in a world dominated by greedy, high-tax governments. I now have another reason to admire the Swiss. Voters yesterday overwhelmingly rejected a class-warfare proposal to impose higher tax rates on the income and wealth of rich residents. The Social Democrats did their best to make the hate-and-envy scheme palatable. Only the very richest taxpayers would have been affected. But Swiss voters, like voters in Washington... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214082 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:47:01 +0100 4214082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214496&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fheart-of-serenity%2F Serenity Serenity Prayer gets to the heart of recovery In the concentration camp, Viktor Frankl was prisoner No. 119,104. He spent most of his time in forced labour, laying tracks for Nazi railway lines. At one point, his job was to dig a tunnel for an underground water main. He worked alone. His reward was a coupon worth 12 cigarettes. Instead, he exchanged the token for 12 bowls of soup so he could avoid starving. Many people assume that the only response to this situation would be misery or insanity. Yet, even in the concentration camp, Frankl felt free. In Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy (Beacon Press, ed. 4), Frankl concluded that everything can be taken from us except one thing: the last of human freedoms — to choose one’s own attitude in any given ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214496 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:19:03 +0100 4214496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197040&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_3IzcUQDY4Q%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere’s been a lot of heated discussion about various preferences, deductions, credits, shelters, and other loopholes in the tax code. Some of this debate has revolved around whether it is legitimate to refer to these provisions as “tax expenditures” or “subsidies.” Michael Cannon vociferously argues that subsidies and expenditures only occur when the government takes money from person A and gives it to person B. On the other side of the debate are people like Josh Barro of the Manhattan Institute, who argues that tax preferences are akin to subsidies or expenditures since they can be just as damaging as government spending programs when looking at whether resources are efficiently allocated. Since I’m a can’t-we-all-get-along,... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197040 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:28:15 +0100 4197040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197371&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwhat-is-alcoholics-anonymous%2F AA's logoAmerican history includes many social movements that aimed to help people stop drinking. There was Prohibition, of course. But there was also the Anti-Saloon League, the American Temperance Society, the Washingtonian Temperance Society, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and more. Only one such movement survived — Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).AA not only survived, it spread across the world. Today, AA lists its membership at over 2 million, with over 100,00 groups in Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe as well as North and South America, even Russia. If ever there was evidence that sobriety can be mass-produced, it is in AA.AA began with the chance meeting of two people on May 12, 1935: Bill W., an alcoholic stockbroker from New York, and Dr Bob S., an alcoholic surg... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197371 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:31:49 +0100 4197371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175671&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fsg6VpRicAgY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’ve already commented on the proposal from the Chairmen of President Obama’s Fiscal Commission (including a very clever cartoon, if it’s okay to pat myself on the back). Now we have a similar proposal from the so-called Debt Reduction Task Force. Chaired by former Senator Pete Domenici and Clinton Administration Budget Director Alice Rivlin, the Task Force proposed a series of big tax increases to finance bigger government. I have five observations. 1. Notwithstanding a claim of $2.68 trillion of “spending cuts” during the 2012-2020 period, government gets a lot bigger during the decade. All of the supposed “cuts” are measured against an artificial baseline that assumes bigger government. In other words, the report is compl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175671 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:51:16 +0100 4175671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172039&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDJYxdqdNbgU%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonThe current issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education features a story by a professional ghost-writer of college student papers. One passage in particular caught my eye: it’s hard to determine which course of study is most infested with cheating. But I’d say education is the worst. I’ve written papers for students in elementary-education programs, special-education majors, and ESL-training courses. I’ve written lesson plans for aspiring high-school teachers, and I’ve synthesized reports from notes that customers have taken during classroom observations. I’ve written essays for those studying to become school administrators, and I’ve completed theses for those on course to become principals…. This is of course the weakest ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172039 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:24:31 +0100 4172039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172331&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-and-healthcare-spirituality%2F Spirituality is universal; in recovery from alcoholism, addiction,  co-dependency; or in the practice of health-care, the principles are the same. This is an extract from an article by the Royal College of Psychiatrists In healthcare, spirituality is identified with experiencing a deep-seated sense of meaning and purpose in life, together with a sense of belonging. It is about acceptance, integration and wholeness. According to one definition, “The spiritual dimension tries to be in harmony with the universe, strives for answers about the infinite, and comes especially into focus in times of emotional stress, physical and mental illness, loss, bereavement and death.” This desire for wholeness of being is not an intellectual attainment, for it is no less present in people with learning... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172331 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:01:00 +0100 4172331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172332&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fcame-to-believe%2F The spiritual adventure of Alcoholics Anonymous as experienced by individual members. Over 75 A.A. members from all over the world describe the wide diversity of convictions implied in “God as we understood Him.” Especially helpful to those who confuse “spiritual” with “religious.” - Order now >> Came to Believe - Share, print or e-mail this articleAction and PatienceThe Alcoholics Anonymous Spiritual AwakeningMany Faiths Aid RecoveryBill W was Spiritual not ReligiousReligious 12-Step Fellowship Links (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172332 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 15:30:24 +0100 4172332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159222&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fzs-AIlTX99k%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI have many pet peeves, but one that causes me endless frustration is the Washington “spending cut” scam. This happens when politicians increase spending, but claim that they’re cutting spending because they previously had planned to make government even bigger. The proposal unveiled yesterday by the Co-Chairman of President Obama’s Fiscal Commission is a good example. If you read through their report, it sounds like there are lots of spending cuts. But they never explain that these supposed cuts are really just reductions in previously-planned increases. Here’s the bottom line. As shown in the graph, it is quite simple to balance the budget (and permanently extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts) if politicians simply limit spending gro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159222 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:02:04 +0100 4159222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159516&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FPzXkHcBVhDs%2F Image via Wikipedia We Agnostics Yet we had been seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose above their problems. They said [the Higher Power] made these things possible, and we only smiled. We had seen spiritual release, but liked to tell ourselves it wasn’t true. Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of [a Higher Power]. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself. We finally saw that faith in some kind of [Higher Power] was a part of our make-up, just as much as the feelin... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159516 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:38:00 +0100 4159516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151755&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0pptSTQwFWw%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’ve already written about the terrible work of the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO did an awful job on the stimulus, for instance, repeatedly asserting that diverting money from the private sector to government somehow would create jobs. CBO also was a disaster on Obamacare, claiming that a giant new entitlement program would reduce budget deficits. And the legislative bureaucracy even has argued that higher tax rates boost growth. That sounds absurd (and it is), but CBO is not the only taxpayer-funded bureaucracy on Capitol Hill producing this kind of nonsensical analysis. The Congressional Research Service just published a new report asserting that higher tax rates will boost economic performance. Here’s an excerpt from that CRS publication. &#8230... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151755 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:44:23 +0100 4151755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151766&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKbvf19QYBTI%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe White House recently released a video, narrated by Austan Goolsbee of the Council of Economic Advisers, asserting that higher tax rates on the so-called rich would be a good idea. Since Goolsbee’s video made so many unsubstantiated assertions and was guilty of so many sins of omission, here’s a rebuttal video, narrated by yours truly. This new Center for Freedom and Prosperity video includes the full footage of the White House production, so viewers can decide for themselves which side is correct. Debunking White House Pro-Tax Increase Propaganda is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151766 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:41:45 +0100 4151766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152284&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ftwelve-step-christianity%2F Genuine Christianity is more than a set of beliefs–it is a relationship with Jesus Christ that involves hearing His voice and following His directions. But how does one do this? What tools or spiritual disciplines enable Christians to live out their lives in dynamic submission to God’s will? Perhaps no set of principles is better suited to help Christians hear God’s voice and submit to His will than the Twelve Steps. As a Christian who practices the Steps, Saul Selby knows them to be an invaluable tool for living out the Christian faith. Selby brings his knowledge to bear in Twelve Step Christianity, which teaches Christians in recovery to connect their faith with their program–and shows any Christian a clear path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. Laid o... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152284 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 13:37:07 +0100 4152284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133665&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxOTI9btkngc%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWe’ve been spending too much time on elections, so let’s get back to pointing out inane, foolish, and destructive government policies. Our latest example comes from the United Kingdom, where politicians are pushing airline ticket taxes to punitive levels and harming the tourism industry. But the real lesson from this story is that it is very dangerous to give politicians a new revenue source. The airline ticket tax was first imposed by a (supposedly) Conservative Party government in 1994 at a maximum rate of 10 pounds. During the Blair/Brown Labor Party reign, the tax was boosted to a maximum rate of 50 pounds. Now, the new government, led by ostensible Conservative David Cameron, is pushing the maximum tax up to 75 pounds (more than $120) per ticket. Here... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133665 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:31:59 +0100 4133665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4143022&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fmaturity-of-mind-through-a-spiritual-awakening%2F Image via Wikipedia Recover Maturity of Mind and Adult Behavior Through a Spiritual Awakening The 12-Step program of recovery from alcoholism / addiction / codependency, in part, takes one through the process to maturity. Maturity is gradually attained through the process of the spiritual awakening which is a result of working the 12-Steps. The 12th Step states “Having had a Spiritual Awakening as the result of these steps …” The Oxford Dictionary defines the word "maturity" as deliberateness of action, mature consideration, due deliberation, fullness or perfection of natural development, ripeness, due promptness, the state of being complete, perfect, ready, and so on. This is the literary definition. What is maturity? Maturity need not necessarily come w... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4143022 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:49:13 +0100 4143022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4143023&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faa-still-works-2%2F An Historical Piece – AA Still Works After Twenty-Nine Years Marty M’s story "Women Suffer Too" was the first woman’s story in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Today, as it was in April 1939 when I attended my first meeting, the Twelve Steps are to me the heart of the AA program. Desire to stop drinking By the time I gathered up courage to attend a meeting, I had read the Big Book three times. And I had studied several hundred times the pages containing the Twelve Steps and the suggestions on how to use them. They didn’t seem easy to me — they didn’t even seem simple, in spite of the clarity of language. But I was eager to go to work on all of them, for they seemed to me the key to that which I so desperately needed: assurance that I wo... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4143023 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:37:14 +0100 4143023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134270&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FQPvJfguvlWo%2F Step Ten; Building the spiritual basis for recovery each day The Twelve Step program of recovery from alcoholism and other addictions rests on a notion of spirituality that is not about having the "right" beliefs. Instead, it is about adopting daily practices that help people stay clean and sober. These daily practices are the subject of Step Ten of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." Here the word "inventory" means taking stock of our emotional disturbances, especially those that can return us to drinking or other drug use. Step Ten suggests that we watch for these disturbances every day and make an immediate response. Taking a daily inventory is important to all peop... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134270 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:38:00 +0100 4134270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118889&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmU0SxfqqEtk%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe College Board is out with its annual reports on college prices and student aid, and the story is pretty familiar. According to The New York Times, the reports reveal that over the last year tuition and fees rose 8 percent at public, four-year schools, and 4.5 percent at private non-profits. Meanwhile, student aid rose at a very fast clip. Indeed, over the last five years, despite lightning-quick growth in sticker prices, after-aid college costs actually dropped. Now, don’t expect to hear this from the College Board or even mentioned in the Times, but doesn’t it seem at least plausible that giving more and more aid to students enables schools to raise prices? You know, that colleges might jack up tuition and fees knowing that government, largely, wil... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118889 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:59:44 +0100 4118889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4106073&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2Fr3zaoopVbVg%2F Members of 12 Step Fellowships in recovery often catch themselves asking ‘why?.’ We are usually encouraged to talk to our sponsor, go to meetings; let go, let God. Good and most often successful solutions. But we are also usually encouraged to get active. These eight questions are complimentary to the 12 Step program. —— I am writing this with a broken neck… One minute I was playing footy, the next I was stretched out on a hospital bed with my neck in a brace which I will be wearing for the next 6-12 weeks. When faced with a crisis, our natural response is to ask "Why?" Why did this happen now? Why did this happen to me? But "Why?" may not be the most helpful question to ask. Sure, sometimes we need to understand the cause of the problem – p... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4106073 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:09:27 +0100 4106073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086523&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FDFzSya4LSlE%2F When You Don’t Believe in God Here is an opportunity to listen in on fascinating conversations with people who found God when they didn’t really want to and weren’t even looking. Through a series of deeply personal interviews with individuals from different walks of life, the authors conduct a captivating discourse on discovering a "higher power." The interview subjects are not proselytizers, nor are they interested in comparing spiritual states. Their stories are neither tidy nor definitive. What they offer, however, is a remarkable, refreshing, and ultimately satisfying mosaic on the meaning and manifestation of God.   Get today >> Finding God When You Don’t Believe in God Share, print or e-mail this articleRandom ArticlesShould ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086523 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:26:00 +0100 4086523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086525&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2Fz1oRVEIjTvQ%2F Image via Wikipedia Moving from anger to forgiveness is a healing experience Adults who grew up with alcoholic parents probably have plenty to be mad about. As children, they were virtually powerless to stop the forms of abuse and neglect they often suffered. They couldn’t express their anger or outrage in a healthy manner. Instead, many either acted out their anger by getting into trouble or reacted inwardly by converting anger into shame, depression or low self-esteem. It can take years of hard work to discover how deep the wounds really go. If anger isn’t eventually dealt with responsibly, it can be a major block to personal growth. Unresolved anger is often a factor in addictive and compulsive behaviors and relapse. Holding on to old anger can cause people to avoid conf... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086525 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 13:25:21 +0100 4086525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077608&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fspirituality-is-an-awakening%2F What is Spirituality? “Spirituality is an awakening—or is it all the loose ends woven together into a mellow fabric? It’s understanding—or is it all the knowledge one need ever know? It’s freedom—if you consider fear slavery. It’s confidence—or is it the belief that a higher power will see you through any storm or gale? It’s adhering to the dictates of your conscience—or is it a deep, genuine, living concern for the people and the planet? It’s peace of mind in the face of adversity. It’s a keen and sharpened desire for survival. From; AA book – Came to Believe, 2004, pg. 5 See also Spiritual Health Blockages SPIRITUAL AWAKENING Spirituality Books Inspirational Books 12 Spiritual Questions Share, print or e-mail this articleWhat About This Spiritual Awa... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077608 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:46:04 +0100 4077608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065353&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoTBKt6_Pu-Y%2F By Tad DeHavenA study from the American Institutes of Research finds that federal and state governments have wasted billions of dollars on subsidies for students who didn’t make it past their first year in college. The federal total for first-year college drop outs was $1.5 billion from 2003 to 2008. Due to data limitations, the figures are only for first year, full-time students at four-year colleges and universities. Community colleges have even higher drop-out rates, and part-time students or students returning to college are more likely to drop out. Therefore, the numbers in the report are “only a fraction of the total costs of first-year attrition the nation and the states face.” Moreover, it doesn’t include the cost for students who drop out some time after their sophomore ye... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065353 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:50:26 +0100 4065353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045073&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Faf_jCffPcN0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellHere’s a chart from Veronique de Rugy’s new article on federal revenues vs. spending in The American. Amazing how the problem becomes obvious when you look at real numbers and don’t get trapped into using “baseline” math (as I explain in my latest video). By the way, find out when John Stossel’s program on Fox Business News airs in your area. Veronique is a guest this week talking about these issues. Do We Have a Problem of Too Much Spending or Too Little Revenue? is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045073 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:50:08 +0100 4045073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036622&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtH6P4GPzYM0%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, President Obama hosted the White House Summit on Community Colleges, and in-your-face love was in the air. President Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden, a community college professor, couldn’t keep their hands off their signficant other, lavishing all sorts of praise on their favorite little schools. Swooned Dr. Biden about the dreamy things community colleges do for their students: They are students like the mother who shared her experience with us on the White House website of working towards a degree while raising three children and straddling financial challenges.  Now employed and the holder of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, she wrote, “Community colleges didn’t just change my life, they gave me my life.” Community colleges do that e... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036622 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:57:54 +0100 4036622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036631&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0DmXBgK2qaY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI dislike taxes as much as the next person (and probably a lot more), but other policies matter as well, so if I had the choice of replacing current government policies with the ones that existed at the end of the Clinton years, I would gladly make that trade. Yes, it would mean higher tax rates, but it also would mean slashing government spending from 24 percent of GDP down to 18 percent of GDP. It would mean no sleazy TARP bailout, no Sarbanes-Oxley red tape, no expansion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and no added power and authority for the federal government. This is the argument that I made in this interview on CNBC, though my opponent tried to do his version of the Brezhnev Doctrine (what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is negotiable), so I concluded th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036631 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:24:43 +0100 4036631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031220&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcnNZY-c7_eA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellOur fiscal policy goal should be smaller government, but here’s a video for folks who think that balancing the budget should be the main objective. The main message is that restraining the growth of government is the right way to get rid of red ink, so there is no conflict between advocates of limited government and serious supporters of fiscal balance. More specifically, the video shows that it is possible to quickly balance the budget while also making all the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent and protecting taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax. All these good things can happen if politicians simply limit annual spending growth to 2 percent each year. And they’ll happen even faster if spending grows at an even slower rate. This debunks the statist a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031220 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:29:20 +0100 4031220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027153&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTK1h1wqy7Z8%2F By Daniel J. MitchellEli Lehrer has an article on the FrumForum entitled “Five Revenue Raisers the GOP Should Back.” He argues it would be good to get rid of preferences such as the state and local tax deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, and he also asserts that there should be “user fees” for things such as transportation. As an avid supporter of a flat tax and market pricing, I have no objection to these policies. Indeed, I would love to get rid of the state and local tax deduction so that taxpayers in Texas and Florida no longer have to subsidize the fiscal profligacy of politicians in California and New York. But there is a giant difference between getting rid of certain tax preferences as part of revenue-neutral (or even better, tax-cutting) tax refo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027153 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:01:57 +0100 4027153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003295&cid=t_108538_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F20972647%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EThe-Case-FOR-College-Sports.htm Recently, Newsweek ran a big article titled The Case Against College Athletic Recruiting, with the sensational subtitle claiming that U.S. universities are “misappropriating resources” on sports. Accusing some of the nation’s most revered institutions of financial malfeasance is no small thing. But are colleges really squandering the money they spend on athletics? Perhaps in some [...] CommentsProbably the most oft-cited justification for investing in ... by Roger DooleyVery interesting piece on so many levels. I, too, have pondered ... by Nadine Bendycki (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003295 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:57:59 +0100 4003295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003244&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0rJN-rH7ys4%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere’s a wise old saying about “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” But perhaps we need a new saying along the lines of “don’t subsidize the foot that kicks you.” Here’s a good example: American taxpayers finance the biggest share of the budget for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is an international bureaucracy based in Paris. The OECD is not as costly as the United Nations, but it still soaks up about $100 million of American tax dollars each year. And what do we get in exchange for all this money? Sadly, the answer is lots of bad policy. The bureaucrats (who, by the way, get tax-free salaries) just released their “Economic Survey of the United States, 2010” and it contains ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003244 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:14:02 +0100 4003244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993877&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEXtRwURzsag%2F By Daniel J. MitchellJohn Podesta of the Center for American Progress had a column in Politico yesterday asserting that “closing the budget gap entirely on the spending side would require draconian programmatic cuts.” He went on to complain that there are some people who “refuse to look at the revenue side of the ledger – while insisting that we dig the hole $830 billion deeper over the next decade by extending the Bush tax cuts.”   Not surprisingly, Mr. Podesta is totally wrong. It’s actually not that challenging to balance the budget. And it doesn’t even require any spending cuts, though it would be a very good idea to dramatically downsize the federal government. Here’s a chart showing this year’s spending and revenue totals. It then sh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993877 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:02:58 +0100 3993877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987037&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F40th4LunYA8%2F By Daniel GriswoldThe U.S. Senate may vote in the next few days on a piece of legislation known as the DREAM Act. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would offer legal status to as many as 2 million students who are currently in the United States without authorization, many of them Hispanic immigrants who entered the country illegally with their parents. The act would legalize students who entered the United States at least five years before its passage and were under the age of 16 when they entered. A practical effect would be to make many of these students eligible for in-state tuition at colleges and universities. The DREAM Act is not a perfect call for those of us who believe in limited government, but in our less-than-perfect world, the act would make a bad situ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987037 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:27:41 +0100 3987037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3969188&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fgod-as-we-understood-him%2F Bill W. Co-founder of AA Historical Roots of the Concept ‘Higher Power’. The basic principles of Alcoholics Anonymous were worked out in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during what co-founder Bill W. often referred to as the Fellowship’s period of “trial and error.” The founding members had been using six steps borrowed from the Oxford Groups, where many of them started out. Bill felt that more specific instructions would be better, and in the course of writing A.A.’s basic text, Alcoholics Anonymous, he expanded them to twelve. But he was dealing with a group of newly sober drunks, and not surprisingly his new version met with spirited opposition. Even though the founding members were in many ways a homogeneous bunch (white, middle-class, almost exclusively male, and primarily... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3969188 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:12:01 +0100 3969188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3962011&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fmastering-our-spiritual-selves%2F This article was written by Kevin Michael Kiley. A 1992 graduate of Dartmouth and a successful entrepreneur, he engaged in a profound spiritual search in the face of severe illness. He is now dedicated to serving others as a highly skilled life coach. Learn how Kevin can also help you to move through obstacles and create constantly increasing success. http://www.kevinmichaelkiley.com See also; ABC’s of Recovery What About This Spiritual Awakening Thing? Sought Through Prayer and Meditation – A Recovery Book Faith It Till You Make It – A Recovery Book - Share, print or e-mail this articleRandom Articles10 Pointers to RecoveryCross AddictionAct As If BeliefThe Purpose of AlateenEnabling of Alcoholism (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3962011 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:00:00 +0100 3962011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3960075&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwellbriety-recovery-for-native-americans%2F Wellbriety – Continuing a Legacy of Resistance … Implementing a Vision for Healing Wellbriety means to be both sober and well. It’s a word translating a term from the language of the Passamaquoddy Nation of Maine as given by an elder in the mid 1990s. It describes a natural evolution of the recovery process. The Wellbriety Movement among Native Americans is a direct descendent of the modern Native sobriety movement that began in the 1950s and continues to change and grow even today. “I went to a sobriety meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the early 1980s and there was a guy named Harold Belmont there who had a smudge. I was going, ‘What is this? What is this?’ It was controversial because it was very early sobriety for Indian people and there were sober people prese... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3960075 Sat, 11 Sep 2010 13:50:35 +0100 3960075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924891&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FABtddZklDdE%2F This study jumps into a long-running chicken-or-egg debate in the academic literature about whether higher taxes lead to higher spending or whether higher spending leads to higher taxes. This causality debate is interesting, but I’m not sure it really matters. A VAT is a terrible idea if it triggers bigger government, and a VAT is a bad idea if it merely finances bigger government. But I suspect this study is correct. The key thing to remember is that Milton Friedman was right when he warned that “In the long run government will spend whatever the tax system will raise, plus as much more as it can get away with.” This means that a VAT will allow more government spending and no reduction in deficits and debt, which is exactly what we see in Europe (and as Jim Powell n... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924891 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:38:58 +0100 3924891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3921087&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fhelp-me%2F Here is a new daily prayer, I hope it works for you. Lord, help me to relax about insignificant details          beginning tomorrow at 7:41:23 AM PST.  Lord, help me to consider people’s feelings,          (even if most of them ARE hypersensitive.)  Lord, help me to take responsibility for my own actions,                 even though they’re usually NOT my fault.  Lord, help me to not try to RUN everything.                 But, if You need some help, please feel           &... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3921087 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:31:00 +0100 3921087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3915296&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fpractice-to-deceive%2F Oh, what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive.   –Sir Walter Scott To deceive means to fool people into believing things that are not true. As addicts or alcoholics, we did this in many ways. We lied. We hid facts. We were sneaky. While we were trying to fool other people, we also fooled ourselves. Every lie was like a knot. Pretty soon we were a tangled mess. Our lives became unmanageable, tangled webs of life. Our recovery program – an honesty program – tells us how we can untangle our lives. In the First Step, we admit we are all tangled up in our life of addiction. Second, we realize we can fix it. Third, we decide to take on the job of fixing it, no matter how much work it takes. In Steps Four and Five, we find the knots with the help of another pe... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3915296 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:13:00 +0100 3915296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907789&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fchanging-roles-in-the-family-disease-of-alcoholism%2F Changing The Part We Play In The Family Disease of Alcoholism Quotes from the Book "How Al-Anon Works for Families and Friends of Alcoholics" p32-33 Recovery ‘…the most helpful and most loving action any family member can take is to get help for ourselves. By recovering from the effects of this disease we become able to stop playing our part in the family disease. The balance is disrupted. Suddenly it is no longer so comfortable for the alcoholic. We cannot make choices for other people, even those mast important to us. We are not gods, and we can’t truly know what is best for anyone else, no matter how obvious a particular course of action may seem to us at the time. Most of us had to hit a "bottom" in personal agony, before we were ready to make... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907789 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:37:00 +0100 3907789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899379&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMT_OKhxSwvs%2F In a very predictable editorial this morning, the New York Times pontificated in favor of higher taxes. Compared to Paul Krugman’s rant earlier in the week, which featured the laughable assertion that letting people keep more of the money they earn is akin to sending them a check from the government, the piece seemed rational. But that is damning with faint praise. There are several points in the editorial that deserve some unfriendly commentary. First, let’s give the editors credit for being somewhat honest about their bad intentions. Unlike other statists, they openly admit that they want higher taxes on the middle class, stating that “more Americans — and not just the rich — are going to have to pay more taxes.” This is a noteworthy admission, though it does... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899379 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:50:02 +0100 3899379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895870&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRl1g5JzgfnQ%2F I hope the title of this post is an exaggeration, but it’s certainly a logical conclusion based on what is written in the Congressional Budget Office’s updated Economic and Budget Outlook. The Capitol Hill bureaucracy basically has a deficit-über-alles view of fiscal policy. CBO’s long-run perspective, as shown by this excerpt, is that deficits reduce output by “crowding out” private capital and that anything that results in lower deficits (or larger surpluses) will improve economic performance — even if this means big increases in tax rates. CBO has also examined an alternative fiscal scenario reflecting several changes to current law that are widely expected to occur or that would modify some provisions of law that might be difficult to sustain for a ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895870 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:00:18 +0100 3895870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880834&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBIPPMq9W5nk%2F Today, the annual U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges” guide came out, and as always it is a slightly celebratory occasion for me. Though I agree with many people who critique the guide for its debatable methodology and implicit assumption that all schools can be cleanly ranked from best to worst, the simple fact that the issue exists makes me happy. When you spend the bulk of your time analyzing moribund, monopolistic, K-12 schooling, it’s just refreshing to dive into an education ocean where guides are abundant because consumers have plentiful, powerful choice. It also doesn’t hurt that, in stark contrast to elementary and secondary schooling, the United States seems to be the envy of the world in higher ed. Unfortunately, my higher ed enthusias... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880834 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:00:37 +0100 3880834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876897&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fagnostic-recovery-and-alcoholics-anonymous%2F For agnostics in recovery who would like to work the steps. This version of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous provides slightly different wording of the six steps that make reference to God or a Higher Power. This version of the Twelve Steps seems to have originated in agnostic A.A. groups in California. 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol-that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe and to accept that we needed strengths beyond our awareness and resources to restore us to sanity. [Original: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.] 3. Made a decision to entrust our will and our lives to the care of the collective wisdom and resources of those who have searched before us. [Original: Made a decision to turn our wills... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876897 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:16:00 +0100 3876897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858387&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fdetachment-with-love%2F Alcoholism is a family disease. Living with the effects of someone else’s drinking is too devastating for most people to bear without help. In Al-Anon we learn individuals are not responsible for another person’s disease or recovery from it. We let go of our obsession with another’s behavior and begin to lead happier and more manageable lives, lives with dignity and rights; lives guided by a Power greater than ourselves. In Al-Anon we learn: Not to suffer because of the actions or reactions of other people; Not to allow ourselves to be used or abused by others in the interest of another’s recovery; Not to do for others what they could do for themselves; Not to manipulate situations so others will eat, go to bed, get up, pay bills, not drink; Not to cover up for an... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858387 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:35:47 +0100 3858387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858388&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fpractical-attitudes-for-recovery%2F In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous members talk of practical attitudes that help in recovery from alcoholism. Some of these are; "…thoroughly followed our path." p.58 line 2. Referring to the ‘Suggested Program of Recovery’. "…completely give themselves to this program…" p.58 line 3. "…developing…rigorous honesty." p.58 line 9 – instead of denial and lying. "…willing to go to any length…" p.58 line 18. A very pragmatic strategy. "…fearless and thorough…" p.58 line 23. With courage. "…let go absolutely." p.58 line 25. With faith in the fact that millions of people have already done just that. "…asked His protection and care with complete a... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858388 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:15:09 +0100 3858388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858391&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faction-and-patience-2%2F The writings on recovery from alcoholism, addiction and co-dependency are extensive and the book ‘Came to Believe’ is one which I could not do without. “In shame and despair, I went to my first A.A. meeting.  By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgment, and criticism, and instead to listen and hear. I heard someone say that A.A. works for those who work for it, those who put ACTION into the program.  For me, at the time, action consisted of simply showing up at an A.A. meeting and following the suggestions I heard….The first step in the process of ‘coming to believe’ had been taken.” AA Came to Believe, page 42 Share, print or e-mail this article24 Ways to get the Rest You NeedAA Works & Costs LessAction and Pati... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858391 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:38:01 +0100 3858391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845093&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeTLB4WJAkxA%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonAt the Techonomy conference last week, Bill Gates declared that going to school would soon be obsolete, and that ”five years from now, on the web, for free, you’ll be able to find the best lectures in the world.” What’s interesting is that Bill was quick to note that he was talking only of higher education. K-12 education should still be tied to physical schools, he is reported to have added. Certainly there’s a custodial aspect to the education of young children, but there’s no reason that electronic learning options cannot be combined with custodial supervision — and much more affordably than traditional schooling. Homeschooling already consists of hybrids of parent lessons, lessons taught by paid tutors and guest lecturers, web cl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845093 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:28:21 +0100 3845093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854755&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fa-certain-kind-of-faith-2%2F Recovery from alcoholism, addiction, codependency and gambling requires a certain kind of faith. "Without knowing it, had we not been brought to where we stood by a certain kind of faith? For did we not believe in our own reasoning? Did we not have confidence in our ability to think? What was that but a sort of faith? Yes, we had been faithful, abjectly faithful to the God of Reason. So, in one way or another, we discovered that faith had been involved all the time!" Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, We Agnostics, pg. 53~ See also; Alcoholics Anonymous – the Big Book – an Audible MP3 book Faith It Till You Make It – A Recovery Book - Share, print or e-mail this articleRandom ArticlesA Woman’s Way Through the Twelve StepsFemale Drinkers have more P... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854755 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:56:00 +0100 3854755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854756&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fim-a-jewish-alcoholic-in-aa-2%2F My name is George and I’m a Jewish alcoholic in Alcoholics Anonymous Many spiritualities are found in AA. A startling, four-color advertising poster appeared some time ago in the New York subways. Staring at the viewer was a "typical Irish cop" about to eat a luscious delicatessen sandwich on Levy’s rye bread, and the legend was "You don’t have to be Jewish to like Levy’s." As countless subway stations flew by, and as the rusty gears in my head meshed, the whole idea of that Irish cop (and by now in my mind’s eye he had become a Catholic-Irish cop named O’Toole, with a thick brogue, 14 children, and a grandmother in Kilkenny) had turned itself upside down. One evening, while talking to my closest friend in A.A. (whose name is so I... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854756 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:06:00 +0100 3854756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831337&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5b8u1HvciCA%2F By Neal McCluskeyFor the last few days, for-profit colleges and universities have been suffering an even worse hammering than usual, both in the media and their pocketbooks. The proximate cause: a GAO report released Wednesday that has been portrayed as revealing “systemic” and “pervasive” fraud — and otherwise just seamy behavior — by the for-profit sector. No doubt there is some bad stuff going on in proprietary postsecondary education. But the assault on for-profits reeks of political bullying of the unpopular kid — the kid who’s just different — as well as the never-ending Washington demonization of anyone who honestly pursues a profit. The waving of the bloody GAO report is case-in-point, and one need look no further than t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831337 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:41:12 +0100 3831337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3833567&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-prayer-books%2F Prayer is an effective part of recovery for most people. These prayer books may help guide or inspire. – The Worrywart’s Prayer Book A best-selling author validates our anxieties (over everything from jobs to wrinkles and the return of polyester), and shows us how to enlist God’s help in pinpointing and dispelling them. 12 Step Prayer Book A second edition (with 44 new prayers) of the best-selling book of prayers and inspirations for those seeking just the right words for conversing with their Higher Power or for expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings. The 12 Step Prayer Book With words of wisdom and inspiration gleaned from Twelve Step meetings and adapted from common prayers and devotional readings, members of all T... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3833567 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:29:00 +0100 3833567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3812955&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVM3_86BS7lA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe federal government is capable of enormous waste, which obviously is bad news, but the worst forms of government spending are those that actually leverage bad things. Paying exorbitant salaries to federal bureaucrats is bad, for instance, but it’s even worse if they take their jobs seriously and promulgate new regulations and otherwise harass people in the productive sector of the economy. In a previous video on the economics of government spending, I called this the “negative multiplier” effect. One of the worst examples of a negative multiplier effect is the $100 million that taxpayers spend each year to subsidize the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is an international bureaucracy that publishes lots of i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812955 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:54:28 +0100 3812955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805808&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb-R9QIBkkxQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWriting in the Wall Street Journal, Peter Ferrara of the Institute for Policy Innovation explains that Washington budget deals don’t work because politicians never follow through on promised spending cuts. This is a very relevant argument, since President Obama’s so-called Deficit Reduction Commission supposedly is considering a deal featuring $3 of spending cuts for every $1 of tax increases (disturbingly reminiscent of what was promised — but never delivered — as part of the infamous 1982 TEFRA budget scam). Washington’s traditional approach to balancing the budget is to negotiate an agreement on a package of benefit cuts and tax increases. President Obama’s deficit commission seems likely to recommend just this strategy in Decembe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805808 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:56:06 +0100 3805808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808846&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthe-23rd-psalm-for-recovery%2F Suitable for members of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-anon, Alateen, ACOA, Naranon, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous and anybody in recovery through a 12-Step fellowship. The Lord is my sponsor, I shall not want. He makes me to go to many meetings. He leads me to sit back, relax, and listen with an open mind, He restores my soul, my sanity, and my health. He leads me in the path of sobriety, serenity, and fellowship for my own sake. He teaches me to think, to take it easy, to live and let live, and do first things first. He makes me more humble and grateful. He teaches me to accept the things I cannot change, to change the things I can and gives me the wisdom to know the difference. Yea, though I walk through the valley of despair, frustration, guilt, and remorse, I will fear no evil. Fo... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808846 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:01 +0100 3808846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798829&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fdeveloping-spirituality%2F Spirituality means that we know we are more than just the physical self. We have an energy or spirit attached to us. In some religious circles our spirit is referred to as the soul and is immortal and that the spirit was created by some divine maker or creator. On the other hand, spirituality to some is a sense of connectiveness to the spiritual nature of the universe, the collective universe that is a part of us all. What the psychologist Carl Jung referred to as the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is the reservoir of the experiences of all humans. Some believe that spirituality is simply getting in touch with your higher consciousness because we all have the divine spirit within us and it can be accessible. Regardless of your definition, when you begin a spiritual jou... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798829 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:04:00 +0100 3798829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795063&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fyou-say-and-the-higher-power-says%2F It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. Whether its alcoholism, addiction, depression, gambling, co-dependency or relationships we shouldn’t lose heart. The Higher Power is at work in our lives, helping us in recovery even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the goodwill of The Higher Power. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, The Higher Power has a positive answer for it. Here is one example from Christianity; “It’s impossible” Bible says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27) “I’m too tired” Bible says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30) “Nobody really loves me” Bible says: I love you (John... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795063 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:34:01 +0100 3795063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790692&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb4DM7DLQdWY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are scheduled to expire at the end of this year, which means a big tax increase in 2011. Tax rates for all brackets will increase, the double tax on dividends will skyrocket from 15 percent to 39.6 percent, the child credit will shrink, the death tax will be reinstated (at 55 percent!), the marriage penalty will get worse, and the capital gains tax rate will jump to 20 percent. All of these provisions will be unwelcome news for taxpayers, but it’s important to look at direct and indirect costs. A smaller paycheck is an example of direct costs, but in some cases the indirect costs — such as slower economic growth — are even more important. This is why higher tax rates on entrepreneurs and investors are so misguided. For every... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790692 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:48:04 +0100 3790692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767074&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fgovernment-decisions-about-avandia-and-preventive-services%2F2010.07.19 An FDA advisory panel has voted that the diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) can remain on the market, but recommended further warnings associated with its use. The panel was divided, the New York Times reported, with 12 of 33 members saying the drug should be removed from the market, 10 voting to restrict sales and strengthen the warning label, 7 recommending only strengthening the warning label, and 3 voting for no change. One panel member abstained. (New York Times) The White House yesterday announced which preventive services would be available at no charge to patients under the new healthcare legislation. Adult patients who choose a health plan after September 23 will receive mammograms, diabetes screening, and tobacco cessation counseling, among other services, at no increased cos... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767074 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:45:57 +0100 3767074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3724577&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FE-BWcl43UBs%2F Does Prayer Decrease Alcohol Consumption? Four research studies involving 1,758 people show that prayer frequency cuts alcohol consumption. In Study 1 of 824 people, we used a cross-sectional design and found that higher prayer frequency was related to lower alcohol consumption and problematic drinking behavior. Study 2 of 702 people used a longitudinal design and found that more frequent prayer predicted less alcohol consumption and problematic drinking behavior at a later date, and this relationship held when controlling for baseline levels of drinking and prayer. In Study 3 of 117 people, we used an experimental design to test for a causal relationship between prayer frequency and alcohol consumption. Participants assigned to pray every day (either an undirected prayer or a prayer fo... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3724577 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:37:00 +0100 3724577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3723305&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Falcoholics-anonymous%2F2010.07.03 To further emphasize my admiration for superb sci/med/health writing, I wish to add another writer to my growing blog category of “Journalists, Awesome.” Via my drug abuse research colleague, DrugMonkey, my attention was drawn to a new Wired magazine article by Brendan I. Koerner entitled, Secret of AA: After 75 Years, We Don’t Know How It Works. I strongly recommend this long-form article for anyone in the field of substance abuse and dependence research, psychology and general clinical research, students of excellent science writing, alcoholics and their family members, and anyone who thinks that good science writing no longer exists. I don’t want to influence your views any further, other than to say that since I poured my first whiskey and water for my grandmoth... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3723305 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:00:01 +0100 3723305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726786&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwill-will-power-higher-power%2F Will power, will and higher power are terms discussed in 12-Step programs of recovery. I for one did not understand the differences between the various attitudes and actions I adopted. Then I came across something similar to the following and I was able to tell the difference between them – at least in theory. I took such a list to my sponsor and have been discussing these ever since. Counter will Opposition to ‘other’ will (other being spiritual guidance, another person, parent, boss or what one ‘must’ do) Child will (As when a child defies its parental guidance) Rebellion Positive will Willing what one ‘must’ do Disciplined will Parental will Creative will Willing what one ‘wants’ rather than what one needs Passionate will Higher will Spiritual will Higher Po... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726786 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:24:01 +0100 3726786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740833&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FCphzlupmll0%2F Does Prayer Decrease Alcohol Consumption? Four methodologically diverse studies (N = 1,758) show that prayer frequency and alcohol consumption are negatively related. In Study 1 (n = 824), we used a cross-sectional design and found that higher prayer frequency was related to lower alcohol consumption and problematic drinking behavior. Study 2 (n = 702) used a longitudinal design and found that more frequent prayer at Time 1 predicted less alcohol consumption and problematic drinking behavior at Time 2, and this relationship held when controlling for baseline levels of drinking and prayer. In Study 3 (n = 117), we used an experimental design to test for a causal relationship between prayer frequency and alcohol consumption. Participants assigned to pray every day (either an undirected pr... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740833 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:22:56 +0100 3740833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718701&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthe-aa-spiritual-experience%2F The terms "spiritual experience" and "spiritual awakening" are used many times in our book which, upon careful reading, show that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many different forms. Yet it is true that our first printing gave many readers the impression that these personality changes, or religious experiences, must be in the nature of sudden and spectacular upheavals.    Happily for everyone, this conclusion is erroneous. In the first few chapters a number of sudden revolutionary changes are described.    Though it was not our intention to create such an impression, many alcoholics have nevertheless concluded that in order to recover they must acquire an immedia... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718701 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:55:00 +0100 3718701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718703&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fim-an-agnostic-alcoholic-in-aa-2%2F My name is Jan and I’m an agnostic alcoholic in AA My parents gave me a faith that in later years I lost. No, it was not a religious faith, though I was exposed to the teachings of two sects. Neither was forced upon me; I simply drifted away through boredom, and my fragile, superficial belief in God vanished as soon as I tried thinking about it. It was a faith in people that my parents gave me — both by loving me and by respecting me as an individual, entitled to make my own choices. Out in the world on my own, I still had a feeling of being under benevolent protection. My immediate bosses (of both sexes) seemed to regard me as kindly as school teachers had. Oddly, my good fortune sometimes annoyed me. "What is this?" I asked myself. "Do I arouse the parental impuls... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718703 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:49:00 +0100 3718703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740835&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FlA30b9IHODk%2F Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) The recovery from alcoholism: Twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is a self-help, volunteer organization begun in the mid-1930s that views alcoholism as a disease, not a defect of will. Its founders, themselves alcoholics, maintained that persons with the disease should completely stop drinking, but they did not concern those who could handle alcohol. This position contrasted with the premises of most temperance advocates, who saw drinking as a moral choice and opposed any alcohol use by anyone. The Twelve Steps embody the wisdom of the founders of AA about pursuing ongoing recovery from alcoholism. The procedure they describe has evolved into one of the most successful programs for helping alcoholics. Many drug treatment programs also have based themselves o... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740835 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:58:06 +0100 3740835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714146&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fis-having-kids-a-waste-of-your-degree-study-shows-that-highly-educated-women-are-opting-for-motherhood-more%2F A recent report on childlessness and women from the Pew Center shows a trend that seems obvious: On the whole, more women are opting out of motherhood today than in the past. But under the surface is an interesting twist – among the most highly educated women, rates of childlessness have actually gone down. The Pew Center’s report looks at the percent of women ages 40-44 who’ve never borne any children during the periods 1990-1992 and 2006-2008. Overall, and across racial demographics, the number of women who chose not to become mothers rose. But when the data were compared by level of education (high school diploma, college degree, master’s degree, etc.), the most highly educated women are having children more often than in the past. The New York Times guesses that wo... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714146 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:46:22 +0100 3714146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706654&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4UrRkZz_iyg%2F By Neal McCluskeyWhile we’re all shooting off our guns in celebration of good Supreme Court news, Roger has reported the blow to liberty dealt by the Court’s lower-profile CLS v. Martinez decision. I won’t elaborate on whether the Court made the right decision — on that I stand with Roger (and Alito, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas). I just want to add one thing about the root problem in the CLS case: You can’t have both taxpayer funding of higher education and full freedom. As Ilya Shapiro and I wrote in an April op-ed about the case: It is impossible to reconcile free speech with governmentally compelled support of speech. Just as public colleges cannot choose both which student groups to fund and avoid discrimination, they cannot pay a professor without priv... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706654 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:52:50 +0100 3706654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691118&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwhat-about-this-spiritual-awakening-thing%2F New dawn awakens new insight as alcoholic mist clears The phrase “spiritual awakening,” found in the Twelfth Step and throughout A.A. literature, remains daunting to many beginners. For some, it conjures up a dramatic “conversion” experience – not an appealing idea to an alcoholic just coming off a drunk. To others, beaten down by years of steady drinking, it seems completely out of reach. But for those who persevere, ongoing sobriety almost invariably brings the realization that – in some wonderful and unexpected way – they have indeed experienced a spiritual change. Spirituality, A.A. style, is the result of action. Step Twelve begins, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps. . .”, and in the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (pa... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691118 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:03:01 +0100 3691118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687364&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fover-eating-problems%2F OA Program of Recovery Overeaters Anonymous offers a program of recovery from compulsive overeating using the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of OA. Worldwide meetings and other tools provide a fellowship of experience, strength and hope where members respect one another’s anonymity. OA charges no dues or fees; it is self-supporting through member contributions. Unlike other organizations, OA is not just about weight loss, obesity or diets; it addresses physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It is not a religious organization and does not promote any particular diet. To address weight loss, OA encourages members to develop a food plan with a health care professional and a sponsor. If you want to stop your compulsive eating, welcome to Overeaters Anonymous. The Twelve Steps of O... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687364 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:03:00 +0100 3687364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687086&cid=t_108538_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIUyMrWIY1gA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSmart statists understand that there are very strong Laffer Curve effects at the top of the income scale since investors and entrepreneurs have considerable ability to control the timing, level, and composition of their income. So if higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers don’t collect much revenue, why is the left so insistent on class-warfare taxation? The answer, I think, is that soak-the-rich taxes are a “loss-leader” that politicians impose in order to pave the way for higher taxes on the middle class. Indeed, I made this point in my video on class warfare taxation, and noted that are not enough rich people to finance big government. As such, politicians that want to tax the middle class hope to soften opposition among ordinary people by firs... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687086 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:21:46 +0100 3687086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683880&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ffamily-groups-for-addiction%2F The NarAnon Family Groups are a worldwide fellowship for those affected by someone else’s addiction. As a Twelve Step Program, we offer our help by sharing our experience, strength, and hope. NarAnon’s Purpose Nar-Anon is a twelve-step program designed to help relatives and friends of addicts recover from the effects of living with an addicted relative or friend. Nar-Naranon’s program of recovery uses Nar-Naranon’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. The only requirement to be a member and attend Nar-Anon meetings is that there is a problem of drugs or addiction in a relative or friend. Nar-Anon is not affiliated with any other organization or outside entity. NarAnon’s Twelve Steps We admitted we were powerless over the Addict — that our lives have become unmanage... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683880 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:35:00 +0100 3683880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678659&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Frecovery-in-marijuana-anonymous-2%2F The practice of rigorous honesty, of opening our hearts and minds, and the willingness to go to any lengths to have a spiritual awakening are essential to our recovery. Our old ideas and ways of life no longer work for us. Our suffering shows us that we need to let go absolutely. We surrender ourselves to a Power greater than ourselves. Here are the steps we take which are suggested for recovery: The Twelve Steps of Marijuana Anonymous We admitted we were powerless over marijuana, that our lives had become unmanageable. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood God. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678659 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 05:35:00 +0100 3678659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678661&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F11th-step-prayer%2F Lord, make me a channel for thy peace – that where there is hatred, I may bring love – that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness – that where there is discord, I may bring harmony – that where there is error, I may bring truth – that where there is doubt, I may bring faith – that where there is despair, I may bring hope – that where there are shadows, I may bring light – that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather – to comfort than to be comforted – to understand, than to be understood – to love, than to be loved For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen. No matter where I am in my spiritual growth, th... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678661 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:32:00 +0100 3678661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676900&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ftie-up-your-camel-2%2F Trust Your Higher Power, But Tie Up Your Camel There was once a man who was on his way back home from market with his camel and, as he’d had a good day, he decided to stop along the road and offer his thanks to his Higher Power. He left his camel outside and went in and spent several hours offering thanks, praying and promising that he’d be a good person in the future, help the poor and be an upstanding pillar of his community. When he emerged it was already dark and lo and behold – his camel was gone! He immediately flew into a violent temper and shook his fist at the sky, yelling: "You traitor, God! How could you do this to me? I put all my trust in you and then you go and stab me in the back like this!" A passing sufi dervish heard the man yelling and c... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676900 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:21:00 +0100 3676900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666232&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fweekly-recovery-activity-checklist%2F In the space below, place a check mark before each activity that reflects your activities during the past seven days. ___ I set personal positive goals for myself this week. ___ I attended at least two recovery support group this past week. ___ I had individual contact with my sponsor this week. ___ I applied recovery concepts to my daily life this week. ___ I spent leisure time with others in recovery this week. ___ I enjoyed time with friends this week who support my recovery. ___ I successfully avoided people, places and things I associate with my addiction. ___ I tried to do something positive to improve my relationship with my spouse/partner this week. ___ I tried to improve my conscious contact with my Higher Power ___ I had positive contact with my children this past week.... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666232 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:57:00 +0100 3666232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666233&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2F12-steps-of-nicotine-anonymous%2F Nicotine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women helping each other to live our lives free of nicotine. We share our experience, strength and hope with each other so that we may be free from this powerful addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using nicotine. There are no dues or fees for Nicotine Anonymous membership; we are self supporting through our own contributions. Nicotine Anonymous is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization or institution; does not engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause. Our primary purpose is to offer support to those who are trying to gain freedom from nicotine. The Twelve Steps of Nicotine Anonymous We admitted we were powerless over nicotine – that our lives had b... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666233 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:23:09 +0100 3666233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666234&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Flife-is-a-mystery-2%2F Many people in early recovery from addiction, alcoholism, gambling and co-dependency are challenged by philosophical questions such as posed here. My life is… a mystery which I do not attempt to understand, as though I were led by the hand in a night where I see nothing, but can fully depend on the Love and Protection of Him Who guides me.     – Thomas Merton – When I laugh, God laughs.  When I weep, God weeps.  When I need, God says, “Yes.” I have come to know that there are many different ways to express spirituality and  know that the Universe is showing me my way.  Spirituality is not defined only as religion.  Spirituality is the yearning of the heart toward something larger than ourselves and the desire to leap the chasm that di... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666234 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:15:00 +0100 3666234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662960&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Falcoholics-anonymous-is-a-haven-of-hope-and-peace-2%2F Twice-Gifted My physical being has certainly undergone a transformation, but the major transformation has been spiritual. The hopelessness has been replaced by abundant hope and sincere faith. The people of Alcoholics Anonymous have provided a haven where, if I remain aware and keep my mind quiet long enough, my Higher Power leads me to amazing realizations. I find joy in my daily life, in being of service, in simply being. I have found rooms full of wonderful people, and for me each and every one of the Big Book’s promises have come true. The things that I have learned from my own experience, from the Big Book, and from my friends in AA – patience, acceptance, honesty, humility, and true faith in a Power greater than myself – are the tools I use today to live my life, th... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662960 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:24:27 +0100 3662960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629875&cid=t_108538_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthird-step-prayer-as-used-by-dr-bob%2F Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Dr Bob originally used this prayer to hand his will and his life over to God as he understood God – the 3rd Step of 12 Step Fellowship recovery. Dear God, I’m sorry about the mess I’ve made of my life. I want to turn away from all the wrong things I’ve ever done and all the wrong things I’ve ever been. Please forgive me for it all. I know You have the power to change my life and can turn me into a winner. Thank You, God for getting my attention long enough to interest me in trying it Your way. God, please take over the management of my life and everything about me. I am making this conscious decision to turn my will and my life over to Your care and am asking You to please take over all parts of my life. Please, God, move into my h... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629875 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:17:00 +0100 3629875